The LG NANO90 in LG’s NanoCell series is a decent TV overall. It has an IPS screen with relatively wide viewing angles, but this comes at the cost of poor contrast ratio and poor black uniformity. It has a local full-array dimming option that slightly enhances the contrast, but its efficiency is very disappointing.
While this TV is not going really bright, it has excellent control of the reflection, and you shouldn’t have any trouble putting it in moderately-lit rooms.
Unfortunately, HDR content doesn’t look very good because it doesn’t get vivid enough to even bring out highlights. It has an excellent response time, extremely low input lag and a refresh rate of 120Hz which is perfect for gaming. It does not currently support FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, although that will be enabled in a future software upgrade.
LG NANO90 – Taking Entertainment to the Next Level
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- Fairly wide viewing angles.
- Excellent low input lag.
- Impressive reflection handling.
- Low contrast ratio.
- Doesn’t bring out highlights in HDR.
- Doesn’t get very bright.
Design
The NANO 9 Series has an awesome look, which is different from the LG SM9000 from 2019. It is more like the LG NANO85 and has three sides of thin bezels. As its stand, it has two wide-set feet, a bit of a change from the trendy center-mounted stand on the SM9000. Overall it’s a simple-looking television that doesn’t really stand out.
The stand is different from its predecessor, the LG SM9000. It has two feet that rest at the bottom of the screen, instead of a center-mounted frame, so you’ll need a large table to position it on. There is more than enough space to put a soundbar in front of it too.
This television has a decent quality of the build. It’s made mainly from plastic, which feels cheap and there’s nothing premium about it. Now, the plastic is good, and the television is well kept together. There is not much wobble, especially for this size of a TV. Last but not least, the plastic between the inputs flexes a bit, although for most people this will not be a problem.
Picture quality
Movies:
The LG NANO90 is an excellent TV for movie watching. It has a poor contrast ratio, due to its IPS screen. Luckily, it has a local full-array dimming feature that enhances contrast, but it does not manage changes well between the dimming zones. This TV upscales the content of 1080p well and can remove judges from any source.
TV Shows:
Perfect for television shows. The LG NANO90 doesn’t get really bright, but luckily, it has excellent handling of reflections so you shouldn’t have any trouble having this in a bright area. This still has relatively wide viewing angles should you choose to see displays for the whole family. The TV upscales content with lower resolution, such as from cable boxes or apps, well and without any problems, and LG’s app store has a wide selection of apps available for download.
Sports:
The LG NANO90 is an extremely perfect TV for sports watching. It has relatively wide viewing angles, and its excellent handling of reflections allows the TV perfect for bright rooms. Unfortunately, a dirty screen impact is noticeable in the middle, which could interrupt while watching sports. It has a decent response time on the upside, and a black frame placement feature to further enhance motion appearance.
Video Games:
For video games the LG NANO90 is amazing. It has an excellent response time, an insertion feature for the black frame, and a very low input lag. This is not suitable for gaming in the darkroom as it has a poor contrast ratio but it has excellent handling of reflection in bright rooms. It does not actually support any VRRs, although this will come with a future firmware update.
HDR Gaming:
Very good TV for gaming on HDR, mainly because of its impressive gaming performance. The NANO90 has a very low input lag and results in minimal motion blur due to its really quick response time. It does not currently support VRR, but may arrive with a future firmware upgrade. Unfortunately, on this TV, HDR content doesn’t look good, because it doesn’t get bright enough to bring out highlights.
Motion
The response time for the NANO 9 series is excellent. In the darker transitions, there is some overshoot, but overall, the motion looks smooth. This is a significant improvement over the LG SM9000.
The NANO90 is only flicker-free while the backlight is at 100% power. Otherwise, it flicks at 960Hz which is so fast that most people shouldn’t notice it. When TruMotion is allowed the backlight flickers at 120Hz and activated at 60Hz with the black frame insertion feature.
Sound Quality
Decent response frequency. It has a fairly decent bass for a TV so you can have a soundbar with a dedicated subwoofer to have the best bass possible. It has a fairly well-rounded sound profile which gives rise to clear dialog. This is not going extremely loud, but for noisy environments, it is not necessary.
Decent performance in distortion. At moderate listening rates, the overall harmonic distortion becomes almost inaudible but is noticeably more apparent while listening at its maximum volume.
FAQ
Is the LG NANO90 TV good for movie watching?
Yes, the LG NANO90 TV is a decent TV for movie-watching. It has a poor contrast ratio, but it has a local full-array dimming feature that enhances contrast. It also upscales content well and can remove judges from any source.
Does the LG NANO90 TV have a good picture quality?
The LG NANO90 TV has a decent picture quality, with an IPS screen that offers relatively wide viewing angles. However, it has a poor contrast ratio and bad black uniformity, which means it doesn’t perform well in dark rooms.
Is the LG NANO90 TV good for sports watching?
Yes, the LG NANO90 TV is a great TV for sports watching. It has relatively wide viewing angles and excellent handling of reflections, making it perfect for bright rooms. It also has a decent response time and a black frame placement feature that enhances motion appearance.
Can the LG NANO90 TV display true HDR content?
No, the LG NANO90 TV cannot display true HDR content because it doesn’t get bright enough to bring out highlights.
Is the LG NANO90 TV good for gaming?
Yes, the LG NANO90 TV is a great TV for gaming. It has an excellent response time, an insertion feature for the black frame, and a very low input lag, making it perfect for gaming. However, it does not currently support FreeSync variable refresh rate (VRR) technology, although it will be enabled in a future software upgrade.
Does the LG NANO90 TV have good sound quality?
The LG NANO90 TV has decent sound quality, with a fairly well-rounded sound profile that gives rise to clear dialog. However, it does not go extremely loud, and for better bass output, a dedicated soundbar with a subwoofer may be necessary.
Is the LG NANO90 TV good for use as a PC monitor?
Yes, the LG NANO90 TV is a decent TV for use as a PC monitor. It has an IPS screen that offers relatively wide viewing angles and shows 4:4:4 chroma at most resolutions, making the text appear clear. However, it runs the risk of permanent burn-in, which can be a challenge if used as a PC monitor for long periods of time.
Does the LG NANO90 TV have good motion handling?
Yes, the LG NANO90 TV has excellent motion handling, with an impressive response time and a black frame placement feature that enhances motion appearance.
Final Thought
Overall the LG NANO90 is a good TV. It offers fairly wide viewing angles with its IPS screen, which is suitable for watching TV shows, sports, or using as a PC display. It has a poor contrast ratio and bad black uniformity, but viewing videos or playing games in the dark isn’t a reasonable option.
This TV can not display true HDR content either because it doesn’t get sufficiently bright to bring out highlights. It also has a fast response time but a really low lag in input, great for gaming.
